The lectio magitralis of Romano Prodi in Moscow on the 17. March 2016, organised by the journal International Affairs, was one of those events that will be remembered for a long time to come by those who attended and had the chance to meet the former European Commission

After having finalized his mandate as President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi has remained a very busy man internationally, rather active and far from the temptation to retire to a life made of well paid conferences and honorary presidencies of rococo thinks thanks around the world.

Instead, he has been very active on the front line, accepting a number of operational assignments, such as the prestigious but also delicate and politically risky presidency of the United Nations – African Union permanent working group. Often rumored for a major political come back in Italy, where he has been twice Prime Minister, in 2013 he has missed for very few votes in the Parliament the Presidency of the Italian Republic, despite having a large consensus in the country – and is considered today to be one of the main strategists and advisers to the new Italian Prime Minister, the 37 years old Mr. Renzi.

I would like to offer a key of understanding in a wider international context of the Ukrainian crisis that has so far provoked a river of words in the West - more often comments than explanations - on what was happening first in Kiev and then in Crimea.

Apart from the warmongering rhetoric the only real War that we were witnessing until now is the one between the competing proposals and initiatives of Aid to Ukraine coming from Russia, European Union and USA respectively.

This phenomenon shows once again that international relations and power policies among States are progressively and now more than ever before relying on the policies and programmes of Aid and Assistance.